Letter from Hattie to Edward, December 21, 1889
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Hattie to Edward, December 21, 1889
Subject
Christmas; Holidays--Songs and music; Holidays--Religious aspects; Winter solstice
Description
Harriet says that the 21st marks the first day of winter in China. They are making preparations for Christmas. Miss Butler is making banners and the kindergarteners are to take part in the festivities. There will be readings, music, and singing. She herself was trying to learn to play, possibly the piano, but has since given up.
Creator
Noyes, Harriet Newell
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #4
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1889-12-21
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_451
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Canton China
Dec 21st 1889
My dear Edward,
This is the day that
winter begins here in China
according to their method
of arranging the seasons.
As the scholars usually have
a holiday on this day like
the children in America
they have been regretting
that it comes on Saturday
when they would have
no lessons to learn in any
case. We are getting
ready for Christmas. I
wonder when you have
planned to amuse and
entertain and instruct
your Sabbath School.
Miss Butler has been busy
for some time making
preparations. She believes
in making a great deal
of preparation and perhaps
it is well. I did not favor
it very much at first, the
foreigners are all to be invited
and it seemed so much like
making a [u] show [/u] of the school
The twenty kindergarteners are
to have seats made for them on
the platform and sit in front
on the highest seats in the
synagogue. Miss Butler has
been making banners for them
all which will make them
look quite gay. They are
very pretty representing faith
hope, charity, the harvest, a
beacon light, the Bible, the
beginning, &c &c. The child
that stands under each
banner at the proper time
repeats an appropriate text
then there will be several
pieces of music. ALeen
and her sister-in-law will
sing as a duet that piece
your sang on Sabbath
morning Rock of Ages.
They have learned it
themselves and sing it very
well. They both play well
so with an instrument they
can learn anything actually.
They can sing by note quite
readily also. I wanted
to have that piece also "Softly
sing the love of Jesus," but it
did not come so we can
have it for next time. I
have regretted so much since
I came back that I did
not practice some when at
home and have you [u] teach [/u]
me. I fully intended before
I went home to do so but
instead of that I played so
little that when I came back
it seemed as though I could
not play at all and my fingers
feel just like sticks. I think
I should have given up in
despair and concluded that
I am too old to play but for
remembering that you
can play all right still
and you are several years
older than I. Prof Thwing
plays very well and he is fifty
nine. His playing sounds
a little like yours. Some time
when you are writing to me
I wish you would tell me
once more the rule for modulating
from one key into another.
I wrote it down but have lost
the paper. Possibly I might
find it out for myself but I have
so little time to practice.
I might ask Prof Thwing
[Continued vertically on the first page]
he was
talking
about it
the other
evening
but I would
rather be
indebted
to you for
the
information
Yours with
love
Hattie.
Dec 21st 1889
My dear Edward,
This is the day that
winter begins here in China
according to their method
of arranging the seasons.
As the scholars usually have
a holiday on this day like
the children in America
they have been regretting
that it comes on Saturday
when they would have
no lessons to learn in any
case. We are getting
ready for Christmas. I
wonder when you have
planned to amuse and
entertain and instruct
your Sabbath School.
Miss Butler has been busy
for some time making
preparations. She believes
in making a great deal
of preparation and perhaps
it is well. I did not favor
it very much at first, the
foreigners are all to be invited
and it seemed so much like
making a [u] show [/u] of the school
The twenty kindergarteners are
to have seats made for them on
the platform and sit in front
on the highest seats in the
synagogue. Miss Butler has
been making banners for them
all which will make them
look quite gay. They are
very pretty representing faith
hope, charity, the harvest, a
beacon light, the Bible, the
beginning, &c &c. The child
that stands under each
banner at the proper time
repeats an appropriate text
then there will be several
pieces of music. ALeen
and her sister-in-law will
sing as a duet that piece
your sang on Sabbath
morning Rock of Ages.
They have learned it
themselves and sing it very
well. They both play well
so with an instrument they
can learn anything actually.
They can sing by note quite
readily also. I wanted
to have that piece also "Softly
sing the love of Jesus," but it
did not come so we can
have it for next time. I
have regretted so much since
I came back that I did
not practice some when at
home and have you [u] teach [/u]
me. I fully intended before
I went home to do so but
instead of that I played so
little that when I came back
it seemed as though I could
not play at all and my fingers
feel just like sticks. I think
I should have given up in
despair and concluded that
I am too old to play but for
remembering that you
can play all right still
and you are several years
older than I. Prof Thwing
plays very well and he is fifty
nine. His playing sounds
a little like yours. Some time
when you are writing to me
I wish you would tell me
once more the rule for modulating
from one key into another.
I wrote it down but have lost
the paper. Possibly I might
find it out for myself but I have
so little time to practice.
I might ask Prof Thwing
[Continued vertically on the first page]
he was
talking
about it
the other
evening
but I would
rather be
indebted
to you for
the
information
Yours with
love
Hattie.
中国广东
1889年12月21日
我亲爱的Edward，
按照中国历法，
今天中国立冬了。
/
/
通常，
今天是中国的假期，
但因为今天是星期六
他们只是有一个固定的休息日。
/
/
/
我们正在为圣诞节做准备。
我想知道
你打算用你的主日学校做什么。
/
/
/
Butler 小姐忙着准备，
/
/
她觉得最好先准备很多东西，
也许这很好，
一开始
我不喜欢邀请所有的外国人来学校看学生表演。
/
/
/
二十个幼儿园的孩子将坐在一个高台上，
他们将举着Butler 小姐为他们制作的横幅，
平台位于教堂的最高部分。
孩子们的横幅代表信仰、
希望、
慈善、
收获、
灯塔、
圣经、
创世纪等等。
每个孩子将站在横幅下并在播放音乐时重复一些文字。
/
/
/
/
/
A Leen和她的嫂子将唱
《永远的石头》二重唱
/
/
/
他们自己学的，
唱得很好。
因为她们的乐器都弹得很好，
所以她们可以学会唱歌。
/
他们也能很好地阅读音乐。
本来想唱《轻声唱耶稣的爱》这首曲子，
但是曲谱来不及，
就得明年唱了。
/
/
我很后悔回家的时候没有和你一起练习，
让你教我。
/
/
本来是想的，
但是在美国弹的太少了，
回到国内好像弹不了，
手指卡住了。
/
/
我想放弃弹琴，
因为我太老了，
但后来我想起你比我大，
你仍然弹得很好。
/
/
/
Thwing教授弹得很好，
今年五十九岁，
他的声音有点像你的。
下次你给我写信时，
请告诉我从一个键调制到另一个键的规则，
我之前写下来了，
但我丢了纸。
以后我可能会找到那张纸，
但我几乎没有时间练习。
/
/
/
也许我会问Thwing教授，
那天晚上他正在谈论它，
我会感谢你提供信息。
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
你亲爱的
Hattie.
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Noyes, Harriet Newell, “Letter from Hattie to Edward, December 21, 1889,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 26, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/508.